Sunday, November 09, 2008
Marathon Pics
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
"No You Don't, Girlfriend!"
In a current television commercial, a jogger rifles through a woman’s trash, takes some documents, steals the woman’s identity, and ruins her life. I take great umbrage at this commercial. Runners are not like that! Most of them are hard-working, disciplined, honest people of scrupulous character.
My recent marathon gave me many examples of the kind of people runners are. Before the race, I enjoyed reading and responding to comments on a message board by the participants. The runners shared with each other their accounts of miles and miles of rigorous and disciplined training. Though most were strangers to each other, they sympathized with those suffering ailments and training problems, advised each other, and offered help and encouragement, with humor, respect, and acceptance.
The marathon race director, David, and his wife Rhonda, are also good examples of the kind of people most runners are. They put in many long hours to make the race a success. Before the event, David matched runners who had to drop out of the race with runners who were waiting to get in, allowing the droppees to recover their race entrance fees. He wrote emails with tips and information to help the runners do well, and spent hours on logistical arrangements. Rhonda included homemade cookies in all the race packets, and organized all the race volunteers. She was very nice and grateful to my Key Limey, when he agreed to help at an aid station.
The event itself provides more evidence. Immediately before the marathon, the participants converged in small groups at the start line, making new friends with smiles, and excited chatter. During the race, people complimented each other as they passed by. After the race, runners who had discarded clothing and articles along the race course were sure to find them safely picked up and returned to the finish, where they were laid out on a grassy area in plain view, for pickup. No one would dream of taking gear belonging to someone else, no matter how valuable.
For me, the character of a runner is summed up in the brief, but telling, incident I experienced in the last half mile of the race. I was exhausted, and hurting from a cramp in my left calf. The finish line seemed interminably far away, and I wanted to just walk. I slowed down, and was barely plodding along when a stranger, Paula, and her husband, came up behind me.
“No, you don’t, girlfriend!” she exclaimed. “You can’t walk! Run with us!” she encouraged. “Come on!” she called, as I stared at her in disbelief. But I obeyed, and started running again. I was only able to keep up their relatively brisk pace for less than a minute, but I was running. I marveled at the benevolent attitude of this woman. Her only concern was to keep me running, rather than to beat me. Paula finished a few seconds ahead of me, and won her age division. I placed first in my age division too, although I am not much older than Paula. For all Paula knew in that last half mile, I could have been her main competition. Yet she saw a runner in need, and she was willing to help. I won’t forget her!
So, who can imagine a true runner, someone like Paula, stealing someone’s identity? Bad commercial! Why would a runner need to do that? Runners already have their own very strong identities.
My recent marathon gave me many examples of the kind of people runners are. Before the race, I enjoyed reading and responding to comments on a message board by the participants. The runners shared with each other their accounts of miles and miles of rigorous and disciplined training. Though most were strangers to each other, they sympathized with those suffering ailments and training problems, advised each other, and offered help and encouragement, with humor, respect, and acceptance.
The marathon race director, David, and his wife Rhonda, are also good examples of the kind of people most runners are. They put in many long hours to make the race a success. Before the event, David matched runners who had to drop out of the race with runners who were waiting to get in, allowing the droppees to recover their race entrance fees. He wrote emails with tips and information to help the runners do well, and spent hours on logistical arrangements. Rhonda included homemade cookies in all the race packets, and organized all the race volunteers. She was very nice and grateful to my Key Limey, when he agreed to help at an aid station.
The event itself provides more evidence. Immediately before the marathon, the participants converged in small groups at the start line, making new friends with smiles, and excited chatter. During the race, people complimented each other as they passed by. After the race, runners who had discarded clothing and articles along the race course were sure to find them safely picked up and returned to the finish, where they were laid out on a grassy area in plain view, for pickup. No one would dream of taking gear belonging to someone else, no matter how valuable.
For me, the character of a runner is summed up in the brief, but telling, incident I experienced in the last half mile of the race. I was exhausted, and hurting from a cramp in my left calf. The finish line seemed interminably far away, and I wanted to just walk. I slowed down, and was barely plodding along when a stranger, Paula, and her husband, came up behind me.
“No, you don’t, girlfriend!” she exclaimed. “You can’t walk! Run with us!” she encouraged. “Come on!” she called, as I stared at her in disbelief. But I obeyed, and started running again. I was only able to keep up their relatively brisk pace for less than a minute, but I was running. I marveled at the benevolent attitude of this woman. Her only concern was to keep me running, rather than to beat me. Paula finished a few seconds ahead of me, and won her age division. I placed first in my age division too, although I am not much older than Paula. For all Paula knew in that last half mile, I could have been her main competition. Yet she saw a runner in need, and she was willing to help. I won’t forget her!
So, who can imagine a true runner, someone like Paula, stealing someone’s identity? Bad commercial! Why would a runner need to do that? Runners already have their own very strong identities.
